A floating image display device includes an object, and a light reflecting optical member for reflecting displayed light from the object to a viewer. The light reflecting optical member comprises a structure in which micro mirror units each having first and second light reflecting sides are arranged in matrix. The light reflecting optical member reflects the displayed light by the first and second light reflecting sides at two times to form a mirror image. The light reflecting optical member comprises a first assembly and a second assembly. Each of the first and second assemblies is constructed by arranging a plurality of longitudinal members each having one light reflecting side such that all of the light reflecting sides are oriented in a same direction. The first assembly and the second assembly are laminated onto each other with the light reflecting sides of the first assembly and the light reflecting surfaces of the second assembly intersecting with each other. The light reflecting sides of the first assembly constitute the first light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units, and the light reflecting sides of the second assembly constitute the second light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units.
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1. A floating image display comprising:
an object; and
a light reflecting optical member comprising:
a first assembly comprising a plurality of first longitudinal members each having a planar first light reflecting side, the plurality of first longitudinal members being arranged oriented in a first direction; and
a second assembly comprising a plurality of second longitudinal members each having a planar second light reflecting side, the plurality of second longitudinal members being arranged oriented in a second direction,
the plurality of first longitudinal members and the plurality of second longitudinal members being laminated onto each other with the planar first light reflecting sides and the planar second reflecting sides intersecting with each other,
wherein:
the planar first light reflecting sides of the plurality of first longitudinal members and the planar second light reflecting sides of the plurality of second longitudinal members intersecting with each other constitute a plurality of micro mirror units arranged in matrix,
the plurality of first longitudinal members and the plurality of second longitudinal members are arranged such that light left from the object is reflected by the planar first light reflecting sides only once, and thereafter, light reflected by the planar first light reflecting sides is reflected by the planar second light reflecting sides only once, light reflected by the planar second light reflecting sides being transferred to a viewer as a real floating image,
the light reflecting optical member and the object are arranged such that a range of parts of the light left from the object, each of which has been reflected by the planar first light reflecting sides once, is nonoverlapped with a range of the real floating image to be viewed.
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14. The floating image display device according to
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This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/JP2009/058390 filed 28 Apr. 2009 which designated the U.S. and claims priority to Japanese Application no. 2008-123156, filed 9 May 2008, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to floating image display devices for displaying images in space.
For implementing real three-dimensional floating images, a passive optics has been developed using nanofabrication technologies that finely divide a light beam; this passive optics allows a mirror image to be formed as a real image in space (see the nonpatent document 1 described later).
Many fine openings are formed through the substrate of the optics. Each of the fine openings is 100×100×100 μm. Two adjacent interior surfaces of each opening serve as a micromirror. That is, two adjacent interior surfaces of each opening are used as a dihedral corner reflector. Light passes through each opening while being reflected by the micromirror at two times so that a mirror image is formed.
Non-patent document 1: Successful Development of a “Mirror” to Form 3-D Floating Images—toward the construction of real 3-D Floating Images—: [Retrieval Date: Apr. 28, 2008], Internet <URL:http://www2.nict.go.jp/pub/whatsnew/press/h18/061124-2/0611 24-2.html>
However, because fine fabrication technologies are required to form the optics, floating image display devices using such optics may increase their manufacturing cost.
The problem set forth above is an example of problems to be solved by the present invention. A purpose of the present invention is to provide floating image display devices capable of displaying floating images at low cost.
A floating image display device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an object, and a light reflecting optical member for reflecting displayed light from the object to a viewer. The light reflecting optical member comprises a structure in which micro mirror units each having first and second light reflecting sides are arranged in matrix. The light reflecting optical member reflects the displayed light by the first and second light reflecting sides at two times to form a mirror image. The light reflecting optical member includes a first assembly and a second assembly. Each of the first and second assemblies is constructed by arranging a plurality of longitudinal members each having one light reflecting side such that all of the light reflecting sides are oriented in a same direction. The first assembly and the second assembly are laminated onto each other with the light reflecting surfaces of the first assembly and the light reflecting surfaces of the second assembly intersecting with each other. The light reflecting sides of the first assembly constitute the first light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units, and the light reflecting sides of the second assembly constitute the second light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units.
In the floating image display device according to claim 1, a light reflecting optical member configured such that micro mirror units each having first and second light reflecting sides are arranged in matrix is provided. The light reflecting optical member includes a first assembly and a second assembly. Each of the first and second assemblies is constructed by arranging a plurality of longitudinal members each having one light reflecting side such that all of the light reflecting sides are oriented in a same direction. The first assembly and the second assembly are laminated onto each other with the light reflecting surfaces of the first assembly and the light reflecting surfaces of the second assembly intersecting with each other. The light reflecting sides of the first assembly constitute the first light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units, and the light reflecting sides of the second assembly constitute the second light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units. The displayed light is reflected by the first and second light reflecting sides at two times to form a mirror image. Thus, no fine fabrication technologies with high cost are required to produce the light reflecting optical member, it is possible to display floating images as real images with low cost.
Examples of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
The mirror 2, as illustrated in
In the arrangement of the display section 1 and the mirror 2 illustrated in
As illustrated in
The mirror 2, as illustrated in
Each of the rectangular parallelepiped members 20 is a longitudinal member, and has a rectangular cross section in its lateral direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction; one side of the rectangular cross section has a length within a range from several hundred micrometers to several centimeters or thereabout. Each of the rectangular parallelepiped members 20 consists of a transparent rod made of glass or plastic as represented by acrylic, the length of which can be determined depending on images to be projected, and for example is set to be within a range from tens of millimeters to several meters. Three of four sides of each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 extending in its longitudinal direction are smoothed because they are used for light transmission or light reflection. The number of the rectangular parallelepiped members 20 for each of the sheet portions 21 and 22 is determined to be within a range from one hundred to two million or thereabout.
A light reflecting film 23, as illustrated in
Each of the sheet portions 21 and 22 is formed by placing the rectangular parallelepiped members 20 together such that the light-absorbing film side of each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 is in intimate contact with the light reflecting film side of an adjacent rectangular parallelepiped member 20. The sheet portions 21 and 22, as illustrate in
Note that, because each of the sheet portions 21 and 22 is formed by bringing the light-absorbing film side of one rectangular parallelepiped member 20 into intimate contact with the light reflecting film side of another rectangular parallelepiped member 20, the light absorbing film 24 can be laminated on the light reflecting film 23.
With this configuration of the floating image display device, an image displayed on the screen of the display section 1 is reflected by each light reflecting film side of the mirror 2 so as to be formed on a viewer's line of sight as a floating image 3. Specifically, as illustrated in
Because no fine fabrication technologies with high cost are required to produce the mirror 2, it is possible to display floating images in space with low cost.
As illustrated in
D=√{square root over (2W·cos(X)/sin(X))}{square root over (2W·cos(X)/sin(X))} (1)
where sin(X)=sin(θ)/n
The reference character X is a tilt angle of the axis of light beams with respect to the normal in the mirror 2.
Setting the angle θ, interval W, and index n to 60 degrees, 1 mm, and 1.5, respectively, permits the thickness D to be approximately 2.0 mm.
Setting the angle θ, interval W, and index n to 45 degrees, 1 mm, and 1.5, respectively, permits the thickness D to be approximately 2.7 mm.
Setting the angle θ, interval W, and index n to 30 degrees, 1 mm, and 1.5, respectively, permits the thickness D to be approximately 4.0 mm.
Because each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 is made of glass, plastic resin, or the like, it has an index of approximately 1.5. This may cause surface reflection. Thus, applying a reduced-reflection coating to each of the side of the mirror 2 facing the object (display section 1) and the side thereof facing the real image 3 allows the real image to be formed with its sharpness being increased.
The first embodiment shows the configuration in which each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 is formed as a transparent layer made of glass, acrylic resin, or the like, serving as a longitudinal member constituting the mirror 2. In place of the configuration, using a large number of very thin mirror sheets can achieve the same effects, whose configuration consists of two layers of parallel mirrors; these two layers are perpendicular to each other, and whose layout can be calculated using a light index n=1.
Using glass, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, UV curable resin, or the like as each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 of the mirror 2 may cause surface reflection because of a significant difference in index between the mirror 2 and air. Thus, applying a reduced-reflection evaporated coating to the surface of the mirror 2 allows high-quality floating images with reduced surface reflection to be formed. In place of the reduced-reflection evaporated coating, anti-reflection film or a reduced reflection film can be applied to the surface of the mirror 2.
Parts of light, each of which has been reflected by the mirror 2 at once, has an optical axis in a normal direction of the mirror 2. In order to avoid such once-reflected rays of light, the display section 1 as the object can be placed at a position that allows the range of the rays of once-reflected light to be nonoverlapped with the range of floating images to be viewed. This measure allows no rays of once-reflected light to be viewed, maintaining the qualities of images at high levels.
The light reflecting film 23 of each rectangular parallelepiped member 20 of the mirror 2 is formed with an aluminum/silver evaporated film, an aluminum/silver spattered film, or a metal reflection film made of, for example, silver, but can be formed with a light reflecting film made of materials except for metals. As the light reflecting film made of materials except for metals, a resin film with a significantly different index can be used to be layered, or a dielectric film can be used to be formed; these films can obtain the same reflection. In reflection using a difference in index, a high-index glass or resin to be used as the core of optical fibers is used as the material of each rectangular parallelepiped member 20, and a low-index glass or resin to be used as the outer layer (cladding layer) of optical fibers is used in place of metals.
At that time, the material to be layered is optical glass or resin, so that all components of the mirror sheet can be constructed with materials having identical physical characteristics. Thus, mechanical strength distributions can be uniform in each side, and the deterioration of the reflection performance can be inhibited. At the same time, this method is effective for improvement of the parallelism among the reflection surfaces because it contributes to the uniformity of their adhered (joined) portions.
A metal corrosion protection layer can be laminated on the light reflecting film formed with an aluminum/silver evaporated film, an aluminum/silver spattered film, or a metal reflection film made of, for example, silver; this metal corrosion protection layer can restrict the deterioration of reflectance ratio. As the metal corrosion protection layer, a chrome evaporated layer, a black-chromium plated layer, a nickel-chromium plated layer, a zinc (black chromate) plated layer, a black-alumite blackened layer, or a copper blackened layer can be formed. Because many of these layers are black or dark blue in color, they can serve as light absorbing layers.
The half mirror 5 is disposed between the display section 1 and the mirror 2. The half mirror 5 causes an image displayed by the display section 1 to pass therethrough, and reflects an image displayed by the display section 4 to the mirror 2. An optical axis from the display section 1 up to the mirror 2 is in alignment with an optical axis from the half mirror 5 up to the mirror 2. The distance of an optical path from the display section 4 up to the mirror 2 is longer than that of an optical path from the display section 1 up to the mirror 2.
With this configuration of the floating image display device illustrated in
When a plasma display is used as each of the display sections 1 and 4 of the floating image display device illustrated in
In addition, the background image supplier is connected to the display section 1, and the foreground image supplier is connected to the display section 4. Using two-dimensional images standardized by Japanese Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) and depth maps matched with the two-dimensional images allows foreground/background video signals to be easily taken out from the two-dimensional images.
The half mirror 8 is disposed between the display section 1 and the half mirror 5. The half mirror 8 causes an image displayed by the display section 1 to pass therethrough to the half mirror 5, and reflects an image displayed by the display section 7 to the half mirror 5. An optical axis from the display section 1 up to the mirror 2 is in alignment with an optical axis from the half mirror 8 up to the half mirror 5. Other configurations are the same as those of the device illustrated in
With this configuration of the floating image display device illustrated in
For example, using 72 display sections each of which has the screen is 1 meter by 2 meters allows large floating images each of which is approximately 12 meters by 12 meters to be obtained.
The floating image display device illustrated in
Note that using a glass mirror as each rectangular parallelepiped member causes, in cutting it, the cut sections to be tilted or the surface to have small roughness, which becomes a major factor that causes combined images to be blurred. For addressing it, coating low-viscosity epoxy resin or UV curable resin on the surface allows the surface of the mirror to be smoothed, resulting in clear real images with little off-axis. Coating on either side of the mirror is most effective, and in addition to that, coating on the laminated sides of two sheet portions can form an adjective layer between the two sheet portions.
As illustrated in
Because the thickness D of the mirror 2 is continuously changed, for manufacturing the mirror 2 of the device illustrated in
Thereafter, either major side of the mirror 2 perpendicular to the thickness direction thereof is polished such that the thickness is gradually reduced toward the upper end B. This results in production of the mirror 2 illustrated in
In addition, as another method of producing the mirror 2 illustrated in
Light displayed by the display section 1 and left therefrom is reflected by the mirrors (light reflecting films 23) of the sheet portion 22 as the first layer of the mirror 2 so as to be guided to the mirrors (light reflecting films 23) of the sheet portion 21 as the second layer of the mirror 2; these mirrors of the second layer are arranged in the mirror 2 to be perpendicular to the mirrors of the first layer. Reflected light from the first layer is reflected again by the mirrors of the second layer so that the light reflected by the mirrors of the second layer forms a real image whose location is symmetrical to the object about the laminated sides of the first and second mirrors.
Thus, the viewer can view the floating image 3 with entirely uniform brightness and clear sharpness within the angle of sight thereof.
In each of the aforementioned embodiments, the display section 1 displays images, but an object, such as a photograph print or a doll can be used in place of the display section 1.
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